Your Friend, Alex

Your Friend, Alex: Part 9

As we walked to the car, I slowly pulled my pistol from it's hiding place, anxious to get the night started. Last ritual I savored the kills because the were in the comfort of my New York City penthouse, but this time, I happen to be in public. In a small town such as this the idea is to go under the radar, and luring people back to the cabin can often prove to be a more daunting task than one might think. These kills will have to be unfortunately quicker and cleaner, but I think I can still make some fun out of this night yet. As Judith and I got closer to the car I shoved the barrel of the pistol into her lower back and leaned in to whisper in her ear. "If you want to live you'll do exactly as I say. Nod once if you understand." Julia froze for a minute, stopping in her tracks as her legs began to shake in fear. She slowly nodded her head once and I continued with my plan. "I'm going to open the trunk of my car, you're going to climb in, and I'm going to tie your hands. You will at no time make any sort of a sound, and you will wait until I return for more instructions. Nod once if you understand." Judith nodded. I led her to the trunk of my car and popped the trunk, where she promptly climbed in and held her wrists out. As I tucked my pistol and reached for the rope I kept in the backseat, I saw tears streaming down her face as she silently sobbed. "Judith, If you follow my instructions exactly, I will let you go, this is just temporary so that you don't get in my way. After I'm finished with my plans, I will let you go, I promise." Judith nodded and I finished tying her hands up. Once the rope was secured, I grabbed my small blue bag next to Judith that I placed in the car earlier that day. I unzipped the top and fumbled inside for a minute before pulling out my silencer and attaching it to my Glock, then tucking it back into my waistband. I need to be quick and quiet. I walked back into the bar, taking a seat beside the old man and called over Isaac. "Do a shot with me buddy? For old times sake? Two whiskey. No make that three. I got you old-timer." Isaac nodded and smiled and went to retrieve the glasses. I wondered aloud, "Hey Isaac, can I ask you a question?" Isaac nodded, pouring shots. "Let's say someone made you a deal. And in that deal, you profited immensely, but in exchange, you gotta hurt some people along the way. What would you do?" Isaac though for a moment, walking over to us slowly with shots in hand. "Well, it depends, if that deal is life changing, I say you go for it." He slid the shots along the table, one for me, one for the old man. "Well say you take this deal, and after you start hurting people, you begin to like it. What then." We each raised a glass in the air, slammed it on the bartop, then threw it back. "Well then I'd say you've got what's called a win-win situation." Isaac smiled wide. I smiled back, getting up and walking towards the jukebox. The last notes of the Chicago song fading away in the background. "My thoughts exactly Isaac. So please don't take offense." The sounds of Cream began through the bar, and before Isaac could say anything I spun around and shot him in the head. Right between his eyes. Quick, painless, instant death. I wouldn't use him for the ritual, I liked him too much. Sadly, I couldn't let him stop me. The old man was in shock. He raised his hands above his head but said nothing. "Get up. We're goin' for a ride." I said. He rose, turned around, and I stuck the gun in his back, leading him to the passenger seat of my car. There was no noise from Judith, and so I turned the key, switched the Glock to my right hand and began the short drive back to the Cabin. I switched on the radio and began humming "The Show Must Go On" by Queen, feeling the eyes of the only man in the side of my head as I pointed my Glock at his chest. "We aren't too far out. Just do as I say and it'll all be over shortly." No response. "You know I like you. A man of few words. You don't waste breath pointing out the obvious. You strike me as a man that only speaks when necessary. I respect that." Still nothing. No matter. We were pulling up the drive anyway. I put the car in park and got out, walking around to the passenger door, and helping the old man out of the seat, gun still pressed to his chest. I walked him to the trunk, and popped it. "Get Judith here out of the trunk for me would you?" I stepped back and watched the man struggle to pull Judith out of the car, until finally he pulled too hard and she fell on top of him, both crumpling in a heap at my feet. I screwed the silencer off my pistol, shaking my head slowly. "Pathetic, get up both of you." The man rose to his feet, grabbing onto Judith as he did, both finally standing up. "Go inside, it's unlocked." I led them through the front door, and they sat side by side on my couch, with me taking a place in the rocking chair in the corner of the room. "Now I apologize but I'm afraid we can't have as much fun as I'd hoped this evening. You see I've been inspired and I must get to work writing, so unfortunately, this is goodbye. However, if either of you wish to speak now is the time. I do feel I owe you that much. Judith, why don't you go first?" There was a pause. Judith's eyes darted from side to side, realizing that she had no way out, and that her life was about to end at the hands of a charming stranger, a stranger she thought she could trust. In resignation she finally began to speak. "You aren't worth a breath. I don't know why you've done this, and I know that begging for my life is pointless. Just make it quick you sick fuck." I obliged her, putting one shot into her forehead. Her body slumped onto the couch's armrest and blood began to drip from her wound. "How about you old-timer. Last chance. Make it count." The old man's glassy, pale blue eyes met mine, and he responded with two words. "Wake up." I froze. Normally it would take much more than the dying ramblings of an old coot to rattle me, especially with all I've seen and done to this point, but it was those eyes. He wasn't looking at me. He was looking through me. I chuckled, trying to keep my composure. "What was that? I didn't quite catch it?" My grip tightened on the handle of the Glock. "Wake up, Alex." What the fuck. I gotta be dreaming. I sent two shots into the old man. One into his right knee, and one into his left shoulder. He didn't even flinch. No screams of pain. No nothing. Just a dead stare into my soul. "Wake up." My vision became blurry. So much so that if I wasn't already sitting down I would have fallen to the floor. I white flash of light manifested before my eyes and I brought my hand to my face to wipe it from my vision. I opened my eyes. The old man was 2 feet from my face. Standing now. The blood from his knee dripped onto my carpet. "Wake up." I shot him in the forehead and he finally collapsed, a pool of blood formed around him. I sat in my chair astounded. Was he senile? How could he have known my name? Am I losing my mind? Or did that really just happen? I haven't been this scared since the day everything went down at Julia's, and it's an uncomfortable feeling because I'm usually in control of most situations. I reached for my pack of Leaf Lines and lit one to calm my nerves as I paced into the kitchen for a spoon. Satanas will be able to explain this, I shouldn't even worry about it. He'll be able to make it make sense. I returned from the kitchen and got to work, my chainsaw sitting in the corner of the living room, prepared in anticipation for a long night of work. I couldn't stop thinking about the old man's words. Blood splattered all over me as I cut off limbs but I couldn't even enjoy myself. I had to know what it meant. I finished sawing and swapped the eyes, walking briskly to my kitchen to put my spoon in the sink. When I returned, Satanas was waiting. "Bravo Alex. Clean kills and clean cuts. This is the best work you've done for me so far. I assume you wish to keep the eyes... yes?" I nodded before speaking, "The old man told me to wake up before I killed him. Do you know what that's about?" Satanas paused, smiling slowly as he gave me glass cubes with Judith and the old man's eyes inside. "He was probably just senile, Alex. I really wouldn't worry about it. All that matters is your deal to me. The elderly say the darndest things, my boy." I truly can't believe that he isn't taking this more seriously. "You don't understand. Those eyes. And the flash of light I saw when he spoke to me. It couldn't have been nothing could it? I swear I know what I saw." Satanas dropped his smile and started walking toward me. "You dare question the word of an immortal. You are nothing more than a sniveling peasant. Worth less than an insect crushed under my bootheel. If I tell you something is not supernatural in nature, then it isn't. Do you understand? I would know." He stopped, inches from my face. His yellow eyes pierced the depths of my soul. I dropped to my knees. "Forgive me Satanas. You're right. You would know if supernatural forces were threatening our deal. You would have warned me by now. I apologize for questioning your brilliance, my Lord. Please forgive me." Satanas began smiling once more. "Rise my boy. It's quite alright. Just don't let it happen again. I will return in three years. Until then I wish you the best. I've noticed you have taken a break from shooting films. What are your plans for the next few years until I return?" My fears having melted away, I smiled, rising from the floor, "Judith here actually gave me quite the idea for my next film. I plan on starting to write this evening. In three years time I should have another box office smash." Satanas looked impressed. "Taking the life story of one of your helpless victims to use for your own benefit? I underestimated you Alex. It brings me joy to see your cold heart work. Until we meet again my boy." I blinked and like that he and the bodies were gone. I immediately rushed to my computer, reinvigorated by Satanas' compliments. I wrote until the sun came up, finally feeling accomplished in something I've written after much disappointment. I crawled into bed, lighting some hash I had from the night before and inhaling a long slow puff. I couldn't help but think about the old man. Those cold, pale blue eyes have made their way into my mind, and I just couldn't seem to shake them. I trust Satanas as anything threatening our deal would have been made privy to me, but I couldn't shake that uneasy feeling I had. I placed my hash in the ashtray and rolled over, staring at my bedroom wall, my mind echoing the man's words over and over. "Wake up, Alex."